Kadak Badshahi

Experiential Walkway

02 weeks

Farzan Dalal Percy

February 2019,

Shreyas Foundation

/ WHAT

/ DURATION

Visit

Book Tickets

/ WHEN

WHERE

/ GUDIES

An experiential walkway curated as a prelude for the famous play Kadak Badshahi by Natrani, which traverses through the history of Ahmedabad.

The walkway guides the spectator's through the development of Ahmedabad and its people over the years as they move through different narratives monumental in history and prepare them for the play.

THE BRIEF /

To create a walkaway in the open ground, 8ft ply walls were constructed from the entry, directed towards the theatre.

A model while ideating helped bring in better spatial concepts and fluidity between the different sections.

THE NARRATIVE /

The narrative of the development is told using the Sabarmati River as the protagonist mainly because it has been a 'developing constant' in the dynamic city.

This narrative was site responsive and helped create a narrative through the walkway.

To build an atmosphere, the backdrops were worked on in different materials, making the walkway stand out while its surroundings were washed in a single color.

The different times of the day; morning, harsh afternoon and evening were used as a metaphor to represent the three eras; flourishing, drought and recreation.

The grey washed ply resembled the tough concrete

TREATMENTS /

FLOURISHING ERA /

The flourishing period was the time when local communities engaged in domestic activities.

THE DROUGHT PERIOD /

Photos from the Sarabhai Family archive were used.

The drought period was represented by two main elements, a circus and the silhouette of imminent figures if the Dandi march. The lighting reflected the harsh afternoon sun and the soundscape played the speech of Mahatma Gandhi and the chants of the public.

PRESENT DAY /

This part of the walkway represents the present-day Ahmedabad through the very famous Sabarmati Riverfront. The main elements of this were the depiction of the murmuration patterns of the rosy starling birds and the hard to miss urbanization of the river - the iconic riverfront lamps and railing and the cement pavement.